Online Casinos Directory

Everyone knows the name SEGA as a gaming company. It is a forerunner in the field of video gaming but now the company is moving into the world of online gambling. The company SEGAGames Limited just announced their new gaming websites: SEGACasino.com and SEGAPoker.com.  The SEGACasino has a wide variety of games to enjoy—from blackjack and roulette to slots and video poker. The popular gaming company is in the premiere position to move into the gambling market. The online gambling market has grown exponentially throughout the past few years. Although the recession caused many industries to suffer, online gambling isn’t one of them. It has flourished despite market climate and continued to grow. It is estimated online gambling generated $21 billion worldwide in 2008 alone. It’s a market that has continued to skyrocket as the years have gone by and is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Now that gambling is on the brink of legalization and regulation, it’s possible the hobby will gain even more notoriety throughout the world in 2010.

The SETAPoker.com is an especially interesting product. The company is offering a live multi-player poker room with head-to-head play that can sustain up to 30,000 concurrent players. The SEGACasino and SEGAPoker websites will be the initial sites the company is creating. They will offer real payouts and payout potentials to anyone playing who manages to get lucky. Players can now enjoy the SEGA experience at the poker tables and in the casino room.

The SEGAGames Ltd was developed and created in collaboration with PlayTech. Anyone who is an online gamer knows the PlayTech name and understands how good a company PlayTech is and most likely will affiliate the name with great gaming. The websites will offer unique promotion based on the SEGA name. A press release on the company read: “SEGA has been a trusted brand and a favorite among the gaming industry for over half a century. It is our goal to translate these attributes to offer a leading online casino and online poker room. We want to give our SEGACasino and SEGAPoker players every opportunity to participate in the entire SEGA experience.”

Poker is one of the fastest growing hobbies in the world. Take the WSOP, World Series of Poker, for example– it began back in the  70s as a “tournament” with just a handfull of players. It was created by a group of poker enthusiasts who were quick to bring some notoriety to their pastime. Over the years it’s grown to be a million-dollar event that offers numerous satellite tournaments and millions of dollars in prize money to winners. The WSOP drew headlines when it was broadcast as a main event on ESPN all over the world. It also brought in big name corporate sponsorships for the first time a few years ago. ESPN broadcast and corporate sponsorship thrust the hobby into the mainstream quickly and it continued to gain popularity as the tournaments played out.

One online website that offers some great poker events is Poker770. The internet casino is offering some of the biggest free packages. They guarantee a player a place at the event of his or her choice and include travel money, accommodations during the tournament, and the buy-in for the main event of the entire tournament. To play, all you have to do is be a member of the Poker770 casino and pay the buy-in fee for the satellite qualification rounds. Here are some other offers to be aware of.

First of all, there is the World Series of Poker. The package for this tournament are on Sundays and they are worth EUR 2,500.  There are also packages to win every month for one of the WSOP side events at the freeroll monster tournament and no buy-ins. Next, there is the London Open. In this one there are packages worth GBP 3,500 for one of London’s most select tournaments, with buy-ins from GBP 1 and estimated prize pool of GBP 100,000.

There is also the ECPoker Tour Barcelona. Here you can walk away with packages worth EUR 4,800. The dates for this tournament are March 19th through the 21st 2010 and it will be held in Spain. Buy-in is EUR 1.50 and there is a prize pool of EUR 500,000. Then there is the Irish Open. This tournament has packages of EUR 4,800 and will be held in March from the 31st throughout April 6th of 2010. Buy-ins start at EUR 0.22 and the prize pool is estimated to be EUR 300,000. Overall there are tons of great tournaments out there for avid poker players. Anyone looking for some great tournaments need to only do a simple search.

The Wynn Las Vegas is working along with N9NE Group’s Michael Morton to open a wine bar at its location. Later this year, the company is planning on opening the bar but focusing on more of a full-service business. Steve Thompson, spokesman for the Wynn, said “Our wine bar initiative includes producing a multi-sensory experience for our customers that includes music, food, ambiance and visual appeal.”  The new wine bar is scheduled to create a certain atmosphere for customers and “the design team is working hard to build a new experience for our future customers.”

The wine bar is being designed to be “intimate and edge” according to Thompson. It’s biggest offering is a wide range of wine from some of the best vineyards worldwide. A specially trained team of sommeliers are set to take the stage at the bar. A gourmet, chef-driven menu will be serving house-made and artisan charcuterie, farmhouse cheeses, hand-cut crudo, tapas a la plancha and mini-size desserts. All are being designed to “compliment” each other in offering and build the atmosphere of the wine bar. 

In addition, the music will be another focus of the new facility. Music that reflects rhythms from Italy, Spain, France, Argentina, Chile and Australia will be featured in the bar room. The facility is slated to open in the fall of 2010 and it is hoped to be instrumental in turning around the Las Vegas economy. Since the recession Las Vegas’ revenues have fallen drastically and have yet to recover. In the area, there are a huge number of foreclosures, small business failings and casinos are not doing well.  Overall, the economy of Las Vegas and surrounding areas is one of the worst in the country and officials of the state are trying to find ways of bringing customers back in to the area.

Since the recession, many people cut vacations out of their budgets due to necessity.  Since late 2007, the Las Vegas market has quickly declined. Casino operators are working to bring new facilities and offering to the general public. They area also putting together various promotionals and specials to bring people in. The new high-end wine bar is the lastest development within the city and owners are hoping it will spur a new group of customers to come to Las Vegas.

Anyone who loves online gambling knows that the Christmas season is a great time to find deals. Virtual casinos everywhere work to build Christmas-themed promotions that bring in new customers. Normally the payouts are big and the fun is plentiful. Now that Christmas is over, it’s no reason to fret about missing deals. A lot of online casinos are sticking with the promotional season and extending it over the New Year. One casino that sees the benefit of bringing specials into the new year is Full Tilt Poker.

From January 25^th throughout the 31^st, Full Tilt Poker is doubling the money in each of its guaranteed prize pool tournaments. That means that players can win more than $25,000,000 in guaranteed prize-money. It’s a huge special for anyone looking for a big payout to win and change their 2010. Full Tilt Poker is already offering the world’s biggest online poker tournament schedule. It features hundreds of tournaments to enjoy and over $12.5 million in prize money each week. For anyone who loves tournaments, this is a great website to enjoy.

There are double guaranteed prize pool tournaments that include a $1,000 tournament every Monday. It features a $600,000 guaranteed payout. There is also the Daily Dollar that features a $1 buy-in amount and a $20,000 guaranteed payout. It’s a great idea to check back with the website periodically throughout the month to get the latest news in what it has to offer. All of the tournaments feature reasonable buy-ins and have huge guaranteed payouts.

The great thing about tournament play is that it’s a good idea for a wide variety of players. Avid players can enjoy the possibility of a huge payout with strategic play times. They can use their skill to increase their chances of winning big and changing their lives. On the other hand, novice players can get a great taste of what tournament play is like. With small buy-ins, they won’t be risking too much money as they test out the games. Overall, tournaments can be a great pastime for any gambler. Full Tilt Poker is a leader in providing a great time to online gamblers. Test out the website this month and see how much fun tournament play can be.

When it comes to playing online slots and Christmas, be ready for a ton of specials. Just like retail outlets start pulling out the stops in terms of promotions and specials, so do online stores. If you played slots this past December, then you surely have seen the number of promotions centering on the holiday season. One lucky player at GTECH G2’s International Poker network got a great Christmas bonus. The player with username 72osROCKS is the latest big winner. He said, “I was pretty excited when I found myself holding four Kings. My heart sank when I saw my opponent’s Royal Flush—but that changes quickly when I realized I was playing at a Bad Beat table.” This player knows the great time that can be had at online poker websites. He joins the ranks of other players who have enjoyed the game, and walked away with a big payout.

72osROCKS won £177,500 for the win of the pot. Three other players walked away with £88.750, £29,583 and £29,583. This is a great way to come up with money. Anyone who has played online poker knows that the fun part is to not only enjoy the game, but to give yourself a chance at a big win. International Poker Network Beat Jackpot is known to be easier to win than on most other sites with players required to get quad sixes beaten to get the jackpot. To qualify for the Bad Beat Jackpot here, all you have to do is be sitting at the designated Bad Beat table and use both hold cards in the winning/losing hand. It’s a great table to enjoy some of the best poker online today.

International Poker Network is Europe’s largest independent network and just celebrated hosting its 3-millionth player. You can find IPN rooms at VirginPoker.com, PokerHeaven.com and Casino-Club.com. For anyone who loves online poker, these are three websites to check out. Plus each one has enough specials that you are sure to find a wide variety of big-payouts and exciting games. Each one has start-up specials and bonuses too so be sure to read the details before you pick the online casino you want to play in.

Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, situated in Farmington, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, filed an application with the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board for a Category 3 resort gaming license. It is looking to work under the 2004 Gaming Act law. The casino will be owned and operated by the Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. In the application, Nemacolin was forthcoming with their plans for the new casino. It will be called Lady Luck Casino at Nemacolin and should be built at Route 40 and Smith School Road in the Wharton Township of the state.

The great thing about this casino is that the Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. is looking to build on its Lady Luck brand. The brand has grown considerably in the market over the past three years and the huge surge in gambling has been good for the company. The Lady Luck concept is focused on providing great games, live entertainment, local food favorites at reasonable prices, and convenient parking. Lady Luck will not only be a wonderful fit for the resort, but will have significant appeal to the surrounding areas including Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland and other neighboring states. Nemacolin is convinced that no other casino in the state of Pennsylvania will offer such a vast array of amenities, and the top-notch luxury and quality of entertainment offerings will be unique in the State.

Nemacolin Woodlands President and owner Maggie Hardy Magerko said, “Isle of Capri has brought forward an exciting and wonderful concept that promises to provide an exciting venue for our patrons while nicely fitting the style and image of Nemacolin Woodlands and the surrounding area. It’s very important to us that we establish a casino that is highly functional from both a management and patron interaction standpoint. Additionally, we intend for our facility to convey aesthetic excellence and increase the value of the customer experience at Nemacolin.” Nemacolin Woodlands is a much-anticipated facility in the state. Gamers everywhere are looking forward to the company bringing in the brand and developing it within the state. Gamblers are always looking for new options when it comes to wagers and this is set to be a premiere facility.

ICAP Ocean Tomo, the intellectual property brokerage division of ICAP (IAP.L), is set to sell a range of patents of Server Based Gaming technology owned by Legal iGaming Inc. The portfolio contains 6 issued U.S. patents and 24 pending domestic and foreign patent applications. Dean Becker, ICAP Ocean Tomo President, said, “The Server Based Gaming technology available for sale in this patent portfolio will allow for an expansion of the casino beyond the gaming floor, This technology will revolutionize the gaming industry and we are very excited to be a part of it.” The patents include transferrable game states and the assets play a significant role in the acceptance of Server Based Gaming. They are considered to be a great asset to the gaming industry and the move is an exciting one for insiders. 

The great thing about gambling today is that it is benefiting from the huge rise in technology. In the past few years alone, technology has pushed the bounds of how online gambling is offered to the consumer. If you look at online gambling when it first began just over a decade ago, the games were crude and simple. They were gambling games, but their quality was no where near the technological capabilities of what today’s market offers. Gaming developers used land-based casinos as a template and quickly translated their games to the online market’s “casino floor.” It was a great time for gaming because of the huge strides the field of technology has made. Capabilities are vast and players are benefiting from it. 

Now that ICAP is moving into the patent business, they are setting themselves up as a forerunner in the industry of online computer gaming. They create games that are proprietary and integral in nature that they warrant protection. That is huge news in their growth and should set them up as a leader in the industry of gambling for years to come. Although many changes are happening, setting up business with a long-list of proprietary software is a step in the right direction for any company wanting to become a leader in the market. ICAP knows it and is in a great position to take on the market.

Anyone looking to learn about gambling and video slots should take this as a great time to start. There are enough learning tools and resources to get a good handle on how to play games. One of the most helpful is the “Free Play” option. The Free Play option, is just that—Free! You can log in to a website and without any risk, start playing. Of course, you won’t be eligible for a win, but that isn’t the point. The purpose is to let you get used to various games before you wager your actual money. Playing the Free Play option is a great way to learn the game, without taking on any risk. 

There are a few websites out there where you can play free games. RTG, or Real Time Gaming, and Rival powered casinos are both still offering the free play option. They have a good variety of 5-reel “free spin” bonus slots that can be played without registering. FreeSlotsForFun.com is another website that allows players to play immediately without any type of registration or verification process to hamper their game time. 

WagerWorks is another company that makes a wide range of great slots. Although the company was bought out by IGT a while ago, it still has managed to stay true to its value proposition. Check it out if you are looking for some free game options and want to test your luck and get used to the games before spending cash. It’s not hard to find websites that have free play options, but some will require you to register. Depending on personal preference, some people don’t want to register, but rather would prefer a “no ties” gaming session. 

For anyone who wants to enjoy slots or any other type of gambling game, seeking out the “free play” option can be helpful. In particular with intricate gambling table games that have various bets and work at a quick pace, free play can be helpful. It’s a great way to get used to the betting and then ease your way into “real” play. Do a quick search online and see how many options there are out there for free play gambling.

“These machines are designed to be addictive,” said Illinois’ Kane County Board Member Drew Frasz. He also believes that the state is looking to increase revenues, without worrying about the social ills that could come with expanded gambling. This is an argument that many states are embroiled in. Some believe that gambling would bring crime, addiction and money laundering to the state. They believe that it is too high a price to pay for having gambling. On the other hand, there are legislators who believe that the huge potential tax dollars that could come from gambling are a necessity in today’s post-recessionary market. They believe that without gambling, there are few options on how to handle the deficit. 

Illinois is in the midst of the same argument. Lawmakers in the state of Illinois thought that they were doing a good thing when they allowed video gambling machines at bars. In the end, legislators may have been the only ones who thought that the expanded gambling was a good idea. Kane County voted on video gambling machines and the vote was 12-11 against them. It made Kane County another jurisdiction that is asking for gambling to be kept out of the area. 

Most states are in the process of expanding their video gambling activities. They see the amount of money possibly coming in and want to keep it in their jurisdictions. It’s difficult to say no to the millions of dollars gambling bring in—especially with the recession as disastrous as it was. It left states and local governments at a loss when it comes to overcoming huge deficits and expenses. The problem is that smaller jurisdictions, like counties, still have the power to vote on whether or not they want to allow gambling in. A surprising number are opting to keep the games out. States are pushing for gambling and most likely it will only be a matter time before gambling is brought in. Despite opposition, people want to be able to gamble. And states are not going to want to continue closing that door, sending people to neighboring states to gamble. They are going to want to keep the millions of potential dollars in their state.

Governor Riley of Alabama took some criticism last year. Riley made a bet with Florida Governor Charlie Crist over a football game. He ended up paying off the bet, but it opened a slew of problems for him. Riley has been a strong critic of bingo gambling in his state. He has long petitioned against the games, believing them to be illegal. As with any state, Alabama is drawn sharply on two sides regarding gambling. There is one side who has been gambling for years on video and bingo machines. They believe it is too late to pull the plug on games now, after years of operating. On the other hand is the group who believes bingo gambling is detrimental to society as a whole and will inevitably increase crime, money laundering, addictions and the overall cost to sustain it.

Riley was a critic who worked hard to keep the games out of the state. Part of the problem was that Riley set himself up as a strong opponent of betting and gambling of any kind. He took the staunch side of anti-gambling, citing that it should never be allowed. Then, he made a public bet himself.

Once Riley lost the bet to Crist, he knew there were problems. Despite reservations, he paid off the bed to Crist. That opened the door to a barrage of critics saying that Riley is a hypocrite. He doesn’t want gambling and has spent so much time decrying it to the public, but then he makes bet himself. Alabama residents have been shocked with Riley’s efforts to take away their bingo halls. Riley has set up a task force to seek out these “illegal” gambling establishments, and confiscate the video machines the bingo was being played on. After Riley’s bet, many voters became disgruntled, drawing comparisons between bingo gambling and football gambling. One of the disgruntled residents even pointed out that bingo is legal in some states, while sports’ gambling is illegal in all states except for Nevada and Delaware. Now that Riley has partaken in gambling, it is going to be hard to go back and erase the mistake. It also will be hard for him to remain in the fight against bingo gambling.